Gear-shifting mechanism.



1. F. RUNKLE..

GEAR SHIFTING MECHANISM'.

APPLICATION FILED umso. 1911/'.

Simi

Patented Jan. 1

III/Il WITNESSES JOHN F. RUNKLE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

GEAR-SHIFTING MECHANISM.

To all whom it may conce/m:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. RnNnLE, a citizen of the United States, residlng at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga andV State of Ohio, have invented a new and use- Y ful Improvement in Gear-Shifting Mecha of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1' is a vertical section through the gear shifting lever, showing the parts in operative position.

Fig. 2 is a similar Vertical view showing the parts locked in inoperative position, and

Fig. 3 is a detail section taken along the line lll-111 of Fig. 2 showing the lock.

The object of the invention is to produce a simple but secure mechanism for locking an automobile so that it cannot be started. With this object in view, the present invention consists in the gear shifting mechanism, and particularly the means for locking the same as hereinafter described and particularly ointed out in the claims.

Re erring to the illustrated embodiment of the invention, reference numeral 1 indicates the usual gear shifting lever projecting above the floor 2 of the automobile. rlhe lever is mounted in the usual socket neck 3 carried on the top of the gear case 4. rThe lever is provided with the usual ball-andsocket connection 5 which permits it to be moved back and forth and from side to side to shift the gears. The gear shifting fork or member 6 is enga ed and moved b the lower end of the shi ting lever to shi t the gears, as will readily be understood by those skilled in this art. The lever 1 comprises an outer sleeve 10 and an inner core or rod nism,

- 11. The outer sleeve 10 is removably secured in the ball member 12 of the ball-and-socket joint 5. On the upper end of the sleeve 10 is the usual knob or handle 13 which is grasped b the operator.

The r -or core 11 is arranged to be reciprocated up and down. When the rod 11 is down, as shown in Fig. 1, the lever 1 is operatively connected with the gear. shifting fork 6. When the rod 11 is in its raised position, as shown in Fig. 2, the shifting lever 1 is disconnected from the gear shift ing fork 6, so that the gears cannot be shifted.' The rod 11 is raised or lowered by a lockin device inclosed in the knob 13. 1n the emdiment of the invention illustrated Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1., 1918.

Application tiled January 30, 1917. Serial No. 145,438.

in the. drawings, this locking device consists of a p1n1on 15 turned by a key 16 and engaging a'rack 17 carried on the end of the rod 11. The illustrated locking device is only one type of mechanism which may be employed to raise and lower the rod, and it 1s to be understood that other mechanism might be employed. As shown in the drawis thus locked against starting, as will be realdily understood by those skilled in this ar The parts are so arranged that when the lever 1s locked it is impossible to take the lever apart. This will prevent persons having some mechanical skill from removing i the lever and shifting the gears by the insertion of some tool. The gear shift lever is held from removal by the bushin or sleeve 20 which is threaded in the top o? the socket neck 3 and engages the ball 12. A cover or cap 21 is provided which incloses the sleeve 2O to prevent its removal. rlhe cap 21 has a flange 22 extending down and covering the sleeve 20, and a sleeve portion 23 which extends along the upper end of the ball member 12. In the inside of the sleeve portion 2O are recesses 24 which are engaged by locking balls 25. Registering holes are cut through the upper portion of the ball member 12 and through the sleeve 10 to receive the balls 25. When the rod 11 is in either its raised or lowered position, the balls 25 vare held outwardly in the recesses 24 thus locking the cover 21 against removal. By moving the rod 11 to thehalfway position, the balls 25 are allowed t0 drop into the recesses 26 in the rod and permit the removal of the cover 21. The balls 24 also serve to lock the sleeve 10 and the ball member 12 together. The movement o f the rod 11 is limited by a ball 31 held in a hole through the sleeve 10 and engaging the slot 32 in the side of the rod 11. Thls ball may be removed after the lever is taken out of the ball member 12 to permit the rod 11 to be slid out of the sleeve 10, if desired. .The knob or handle- 13 is locked in position by means of ball 35 which is held in a recess 36 in the lower sleeve-like extension by the knob 13 and a registering hole 3'? through the' sleeve l0 The knob 13 cannot be removed except by first taking the lever out of the ball member '12, removing the rod ll from sleeve 10, thus permitting the ball to be removed from its recess.; lt will thus be seen that it is impossible for any unauthorized pen' son to take the gear shifting mechanism apart, because only' by first turnin -the key 16 to move the rod 1l to its hal -Way position can the parts be released so as. to be disassembledD lt will thus be seen that the lever is provided with'y a disconnectible element, such as the rod 11, .and that this disconnectible element is not only locked in' a disconnected position, as shovvn in Fig. 2 oi `the drawings, but is also locked in an inaccessible position, because, as shown in the drawings,

elo

when the lever is locked, the retaining balls prevent its being taken aparta While the preferred -embodiment of the invention has been illustrated -and specifically described, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited Ato its illustrated embodiment, but may be enr ployed in other structures Within the scope of the following claims;

l claim:

1. Gear shifting mechanism 'for automobiles and the like having a shifting lever provided with a disconnectible element, and meansv for locking said element in a disconnected and inaccessible position, substantially as described. i

2. Gear shifting mechanism for Aautomonaaaaoe vided with a sleeve and a rod slidably inclosed in said sleeve and normally engaging a (gear shifting fork, said level` being provi ed With a handle at its upper end, and locking means in said handle for' moving the iod out of operative connection with the gear shifting fork, substantially as described. i

4;. Gear shifting mechanism for autoincbiles or the like having a shifting lever piovided With a sleeve and a rod slidably inclosed in said sleeve and normally engaging a gear shifting fork, said lever being pro'- vided With a handle at its upper end, looking means in said handle for moving the ron out of" operative connection with the gear shiftin fork, and retaining means controlled by te position of the rod for preventing the removal ofthe lever so as to pevent the leven from removal when the rod is locked in its disconnected position, substantially as described. Y

ln testimony whereof, l have benannte set my hand..

JHN l5", RNBLE.

Witnesses:

Kann Fi l/ilnnoma, Bnesne ld., Sinnen 

